Save Tonight
by Tehri
Summary: Juushirou has lived his life thinking that he could be gone the next day; Shunsui has always refused to let him give up without a fight. // Implied ShunxJuu if you squint, I suppose.


_**Author's Note: Based on the song "Save Tonight" by the American-Swedish musician Eagle-Eye Cherry. I don't keep that much music made by Swedish musicians (or do I? o.O), but this is one of my favourite songs; I heard it for the first time in 1997, meaning soon after it was released here (also meaning, only two or three months after I turned 6 years old). ^^ Nostalgia trip for me, slightly weird and rushed fic for you guys.. .... Sorry about that. xD**_

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_Go on and close the curtains,_

'_Cause all we need is candle light._

_You and me, and a bottle of wine._

_Gonna hold you tonight, oh yeah._

_Well, we know I'm going away._

_And how I wish, I wish it weren't so._

_So take this wine, and drink with me;_

_Let's delay our misery…_

--

Juushirou sighed quietly as he leaned back, staring up at the rising moon. He felt incredibly tired; not only because of the work during the day. He now sat up on a roof along with Shunsui, watching the moon and drinking sake. Of course he knew that he shouldn't drink too much, but at the moment he just needed it. Alcohol was a good way of chasing away certain thoughts that would have ruined the evening otherwise. But tonight, the drinks didn't seem to help. Bathing in the gentle moonlight, he watched the pale circle rise a little higher in the sky, illuminating the world below along with the stars. It was a beautiful and clear night, Almost too clear.

"It feels almost like true deception, don't you think?"

He blinked and glanced at the flamboyant man next to him; Shunsui's brown eyes were watching him intently, a small smile playing on the man's lips. The slightly older captain had always been good at telling what his friend was thinking about.

"There are no clouds," muttered Juushirou with a slight smile. "It feels a bit strange... There are always clouds, but not tonight... As if the sky is celebrating..."

"And why wouldn't the white moon itself celebrate?" Shunsui laughed and lifted his cup. "The Mother Moon is celebrating that her darling child has pulled through yet another fit of illness; I say that the child and I should do the same right now."

With a soft chuckle, Juushirou lifted his cup and held it up in a silent toast.

"Still," he said when he had taken a sip, watching while his friend downed the entire cup. "You do know, Shunsui... You know that I could be gone tomorrow."

The brown-haired man threw an arm around his friend's shoulders and pulled him close, his grin not wavering the slightest.

"Then, Juu," he said, "I will hold you tonight and we'll see if you're gone tomorrow. Because even if you'll be gone, this will be a wonderful memory, don't you think?"

Juushirou closed his hazel eyes and smiled, nuzzling into the warmth. True... Even if he'd be gone tomorrow, this would be a wonderful moment.

"Tonight, we celebrate," said Shunsui and trailed his fingers through his friend's white hair. "We celebrate that you have survived yet another year, managing to make the most of everything, living every day to the fullest."

"We don't only celebrate for my sake," replied Juushirou and poked Shunsui in the ribs for the fourth time that day. "We celebrate that you have survived as well, managing to wreak havoc wherever you've gone in Soul Society and managing to terrify all those poor girls you've flirted with."

Shunsui's laughter echoed around them.

"I'll have you know that they were flirting back," he grinned.

Juushirou just smirked and leaned against him.

--

_Save tonight,_

_Fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save tonight,_

_Fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

--

There was no way to be certain about what Shunsui had been thinking; but here they were, far from shinigami or anyone else, sitting together by a campfire while speaking silently to each other. According to the flamboyant captain, this was a good way to make his "dear Juu-kun" relax, and Juushirou was tempted to agree. It had been far too long since they last did something like this, just went off somewhere together to enjoy each other's company ("and all that jazz", as Shunsui had started to say lately, preferably with a sing-song voice). However, the white-haired man was also tempted to point out that Retsu would most likely murder Shunsui if she found out that they had gone off like this so soon after an attack. Once he did point it out, however, Shunsui grinned and patted his shoulder.

"No worries," he chuckled. "I spoke to Unohana-taichou this morning, and even though she was reluctant, she said it was fine as long as I kept you warm and brought you back if something happened."

And after saying those words, he promptly pulled his friend into a warm embrace, a slightly teasing smile on his lips. Juushirou laughed and leaned against him, enjoying the feeling of being held close to someone.

"Well, I'm perfectly happy with that," he said with a grin. "You're good at keeping me warm, so she ought to be happy too."

Shunsui leaned in, placing another piece of wood in the fire.

"I'll do my best," he replied, a chuckle escaping him as well. "But we'll need to keep the fire burning."

Juushirou smiled softly and closed his eyes, leaning his head against Shunsui's chest; the sound of the rhythmic heartbeats began to lull him to sleep already.

But not long before dawn, Shunsui woke up to the sound of coughing. He quickly sat up, seeing that his friend was on all fours, his lithe body shaking violently as the coughs wrecked through him. Cursing quietly, the slightly older man quickly gathered their things before wrapping Juushirou in one of the blankets they had brought and picking him up; the coughs weren't stopping, and at this rate the poor man would have blood staining him again in just a short while. They'd need to move fast. For just a moment, he thought about how Juushirou said that he lived his life.

"Every day could be my last," he had said. "For all I know, I could be gone tomorrow. So I'm going to live my life to the fullest during the short time I have."

"Short time, my ass," mumbled Shunsui as he started to run. "You've been alive for just as long as me, and you haven't given up. I'm not going to let you give up now either!"

--

_There's a log on the fire,_

_And it burns, like me for you._

_Tomorrow comes with one desire:_

_To take me away, oh, it's true..._

_It ain't easy to say goodbye;_

_But darling, please, don't start to cry._

'_Cause girl, you know I've got to go._

_Oh, Lord, I wish it wasn't so..._

--

If people were shocked to see a flowery pink blur with a straw hat rush past them that morning, then they were certainly more shocked to see the bundle of blankets and hear the sound of coughs.

Shunsui had been using shunpo to get back to Seireitei as quickly as possible. The coughs had still not stopped, and he didn't need to look down to know that his clothes and the blankets were stained with blood. Juushirou's blood. He rushed through the streets on the familiar way to the Fourth Division; if he knew Retsu right, she'd be waiting right outside. And sure enough, when he hurried towards the buildings, the Fourth Division's captain came out. She frowned slightly when she saw him, but the frown disappeared once she saw the man in his arms.

"Inside, Kyouraku-san," she said softly.

And once Juushirou got the much needed medical attention, Shunsui allowed himself to finally relax. Judging from earlier attacks, this was a minor one, but that didn't mean it hadn't worried him. The man was fragile, yes, but at the same time he could easily claim that it was nothing and that he was alright.

"I guess I should have listened when she said that he needed to rest a little more," he muttered and leaned against the wall. "Stupid..."

"Yes, you are."

He jumped in surprise at the sound of Retsu's voice, but relaxed again once he saw that her smile was not hostile in any way.

"He asked me not to yell at you," she said calmly. "He's awake, and better now. But please, this time allow yourself to listen to my advice. He is not entirely well yet. He'll need to rest, and it's better if he does that in his own bed. Stay with him if you'd like. The rest you know."

--

_Save tonight,_

_Fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save tonight,_

_Fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

--

Juushirou gave Shunsui a tired smile when the flamboyant man came in through the door; he felt exhausted, but he didn't want to rest just yet, especially not when Shunsui was there. The man had some sort of a right to hear that everything was alright, after all.

"Well, handsome, you sure gave me a scare there." A lazy grin, and Shunsui stepped over to the bed. "How are you feeling?"

Juushirou chuckled softly and shook his head.

"As usual, I guess," he replied. "I'm tired, my throat is sore, but I'm not as bad as I could've been."

Shunsui's warm hand patted his shoulder, and he couldn't help but smile. He felt better knowing that his old friend would be there, as always. There was no reason to believe that the man would disappear, but at the same time it was difficult not to worry about that he might one day decide that the ailed captain wasn't worth his time.

"Look, Juu," said Shunsui quietly. "Retsu said that it would be good if you got to rest in your own bed. I'll bring you there in a little while, okay? I just want to make sure that you're really awake and that you get something to drink first..."

Juushirou smiled warmly, his hazel eyes sparkling, and nodded in response. He was aware of that Shunsui would watch over him like a hawk until he was well again; not that he minded, of course. He wouldn't have to do a single thing.

--

_Tomorrow comes to take me away._

_I wish that I, that I could stay..._

_But girl, you know I've got to go._

_Oh, Lord, I wish it wasn't so..._

--

Yet another night when the two captains sat up on their rooftop, gazing over Seireitei and enjoying the moonlight, Juushirou had a slightly odd smile on his lips. Shunsui recognised this look as Juu's "nostalgic face". But he wondered what the ailed man could be thinking of. With a slight smile, he moved closer and put an arm around his friend.

"Now I'm curious," he said softly. "What's on your mind, hm? You're being nostalgic; I can see that on your face."

Juushirou merely chuckled and turned his head to look at the other man, who now watched him over the rim of his sake cup. Brown eyes stared into hazel, just like so many times before.

"I'm thinking of all the times you've actually saved me," replied Juushirou after a moment of silence. "I'm not even certain if I remember all of those occasions when I've collapsed in front of you..."

"I do." Hazel eyes blinked owlishly and watched Shunsui carefully when he flashed a lazy grin and downed his drink. "And you're actually better than you used to be. It's not as frequent, so I guess you really have gotten stronger, Juu."

Juushirou laughed and poked at his friend's ribs, making him splutter in surprise (but the grin remained, as always).

"I still say that I could be gone tomorrow, Shunsui."

"Pft... Ow, my ribs... And you think I'd let you go without a fight? You're delusional, you know. Completely insane." The grin changed into a soft smile. "Not a chance that I'd let you go without at least trying to stay alive, Juu."

--

_Save tonight,_

_And fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save tonight,_

_And fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save tonight,_

_And fight the break of dawn._

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save tonight,_

_And fight the break of dawn. _

_Come tomorrow,_

_Tomorrow I'll be gone. _

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Tomorrow I'll be gone._

_Save Tonight… Save Tonight…_

_Save Tonight… Save Tonight…_

_Save tonight… Oh that's right!_

_Save Tonight… Save Tonight… _

_Save Tonight…_


End file.
